The Enigma Of Rachel Amber
by CaffinatedWriter
Summary: Rachel Amber is everything all at once, the kind of person you hear about, but you don't think you'll ever meet. She's the stuff of Urban legends talked about on hot street corners and in neighbors basements, but not the girl you live in the same dorm with during your senior year. It's an impersonal thing. Until it's not. And you have Chloe to thank for that. An AU, kind of.
1. First You Meet

With a snap and a click, just like that, everything stays still. Which is something Max Caulfield can appreciate. She has the world in her hands, with a power as great as controlling time, but a camera, she decides, works just as well to freeze a moment.

The day is coming to a blazing middle ground with a firey October sun dangling above the waters like a big red flashlight in her eyes, casting warm colors and gentle shadows throughout Chloe Price's bedroom.

Chloe, lying on her back next to her in a cloud of smoke, talking about Rachel Amber.

Rachel Amber, whom, in a matter of minutes, mind you, Max is going to meet.

"Man, I know you guys are gonna hit it off. It's gonna be hella great," She says, blowing a smoke ring.

She's said this approximately twenty times in the last two days of deciding to introduce the two. But speak of the devil and she shall come, becuase who bursts in the door but Rachel Amber herself, Queen of Blackwell Academy.

"Hey Chloe! It's been fucking forever, and I just sat on a bus for twelve hours, so no offense but I'm going to kill a man if I don't get something to eat in, like, five minutes ago," are the first words Max hears out of her mouth, which probably says something about Rachel.

"Hey! You must be Max Caulfield, I've gotta be right, Chloe's told me all about you. So has everyone else, actually. You're the Quiet New Scholarship Girl around Blackwell. I've gotten almost all good impressions though, don't worry about of it. Nice to meet you, I'm Rachel," She says, and she holds out a hand while digging the other in the pocket of her Daisy Dukes.

"Uh, hi. Yeah, I'm Max.. It's nice to meet you, too. Chloe's said a lot about you," Max says, giving her a once-over.

Rachel Amber has legs a mile long, with sandy hair that reaches her waist and blue ice eyes that look endless.

"Alright, now that you two are aquinted, I'm gonna get some food and then we can get high," Chloe says, and with that, Max and this intimidating, beautiful woman are left alone together.

"So, where were you the last couple weeks?" Max asks, trying to make polite conversation.

"Hitched a couple rides to L.A. Woulda had Chloe come with me, but it was sort of spur of the moment. Next time, though. You could totally come to, you know. You're, like, a photographer, right?" She asks, sitting down on Chloe's bed and turning to you.

"Yeah, that's me," You nod, and give a small smile.

"Los Angeles is great for pictures. Not that next time we'll be going to L.A. We can go anywhere you want, except for Idaho. NEVER going to Idaho again. And I'm pretty sure Chloe's got some sort of vendetta against Arizona, but she never told me why. It is entirely possible that she's banned from it, actually, though," The girl says thoughtfully.

"Chloe is banned from Arizona?!"

"It's very possible."

"Like... All of it?"

"That's typically how it works."

"What the hell did Chloe do to get her banned from the entire state of Arizona?!"

"That," Chloe says, entering the room once more with an array of chips and other munchies, "is a story for when the three of us are a lot more high. Which, hopefully, is soon."

Max had never once been high. Or even drunk, really. As a matter of fact, the closest Max had ever been to some form of intoxication was the nights she would occasionally stay up until five in the morning because, shit, that essay was due Thursday and not Friday, and Ray Bradbury's stories would start sounding a lot less in depth studies on humanity's complexities, and where they stopped and started, and a lot more like a PSA on why not to do meth.

Never the less, Max took the blunt handed to her, and for your information, did NOT choke and cough like a little fucking girl in front of Chloe and Rachel on her first it. (Oh, she totally did.)

If Rachel Amber was talkative when she was (probably) sober, than she was fucking insane when she was high, giggles and mumurs and jabbers slipping through her lips, just the perfect amount of high to be loose and easy but not quite exstistentialisty yet.

"Like, I mean, though, have you actually SEEN the Minions movie? 'Cause, like, fuck. I mean, like. What are those things? Fucking bullshit, you know? How do they understand eachother!? That's not a language, you yellow fuckers, 'cause, I mean, if it was, like, I could learn that shit, 'ya know? But I can't take a class in little yellow guys! They don't even have that at Blackwell! They have Spanish, you know? Fuckin' French. Who the fuck wants to learn Fench?" Rachel rambles on, clearly distressed over Minions, and nobody tells her that she's currently taking French.

"Dude," Chloe laughs, "You are so fucking high."

"'M not. Right, Maxie? I'm less high than Chloe. Chloe, my new bestie's gonna tell you you're higher than me," Rachel says, planting a kiss on Max's cheek.

"Uhm," Max stammers, face turning red. "What was in those joints?"

"Max was totally my best friend first," Chloe defends. "MINE!" and grabs a tight hold of Max's arm.

"Shut up you guys," Max laughs. "You're both fucking high, and so am I, and Joyce is totally gonna be home soon and she's gonna be mad because we didn't say no to drugs, and then I'm gonna go back to Blackwell and Kate's gonna be sad because I did drugs and said no to Jesus instead of pot!"

"Shhh Max. Shhh," Rachel croons. "It's fine. Let's just, like, go to sleep."

If Max Caulfield were of sound mind, she might say, "But I have classes at nine in the morning."

Or maybe, "Joyce will still smell the pot, even if we're asleep."

Or perhaps, "David will be home by four in the morning, too, and then we're REALLY screwed."

But lucky for Max, pot was a good Get Out Of Jail Free card, so the three girls simply closed their eyes and fell asleep in the golden room, surrounded by the smell of pot and tepid October air through the slightly open windows.

This was the first time that Max had met Rachel Amber, and if she were to go by first impressions, that would say things would only get more exciting.  



	2. Rachel Amber, Real Life Tour Guide!

A/N: Sorry I took so fucking long to upload, my computer got busted and it took a while to get a new one. This isn't fantastic tbh, but I'm tired and I wanted to post something to let the world know I'm not dead or anything. Remember to review

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"MAX, WAKE UP! LEMME IN," A voice calls from outside, followed by:

"PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE, IT'S SIX IN THE FUCKING MORNING!"

"YOU'RE WELCOME FOR THE WAKE UP CALL, VICTORIA!" The original voice outside Max's door calls back. Rachel Amber, who else?

Bang, bang, bang, and Max is not surprised.

"'M coming, I am," Max rolls out of bed and stumbles to the door. With a turn and a click, Max blinks twice and rubs the sleep out of her eyes.

"Max, finally. Class is in, like, an hour, you should be awake or thanking me, or both works. I come bearing food and an award winning smile as a bonus," Rachel winks and enters Max's bedroom, tidy for once while the early morning light bathes it in a warm yellow glow.

"Rachel. Hi. What time is it?" Max murmurs.

"Not a morning person, huh? Don't worry, me neither, but I've had, like, five cups of coffee, so it's whatever. It's six, didn't you hear Icky Vicky?" She laughs with a lilt.

Rachel Amber, not a morning person. Looking her up and down, Max can't help but think that's a lie; Rachel is an anytime person. "I'm… not dressed. Oh, fuck, I'm not dressed," Max realizes, face reddening.

Rachel Amber, the legend herself, is in Max's bedroom while Max is in nothing but her pajamas.

God, they're the stupid ones, too. The ones her mom sent her with little eggs all over them, saying stuff like, "You must be YOLKIN' me!"

Jesus hates her. Maybe she should take that up with Kate.

"Dude, what are you talking about, what you're wearing right now is fantastic, like, never wear anything BUT that. Those are literally the best things I've ever seen," Rachel eyes her up and down.

"Hilarious," Max mutters, but she's smiling none the less.

"But alas, the reason I came here was not to tell you how I feel about your sleepwear."

"I think you're using the word alas wrong," Max points out.

"That's totally not the point. The point is that I am going to give you the Real Live Official Tour Of Blackwell. Your experience here is not complete without it. Max Caulfield, are you ready?" Rachel jumps up from Max's desk and towards Max.

"Um, sure? Yeah, I guess," Max agrees.

"Okay, fantastic. However, first we need coffee-"

"Didn't you say something about already having coffee?"

"Don't worry about it. Here, take this," Rachel hands her a large cup of steaming coffee and a danish. "Fuel, my darling. The only way you can survive.

Max can't exactly argue that, so she changes out of those god awful pajamas and joins Rachel on a caffeine high.

So, walking through the hallways with the most popular girl in school is disorientating, to say the least.

"Rachel! Holy shit, where've you been?" Dana yells, bolting across the hall to embrace Rachel in typical teen girl fashion.

"Los Angeles. Fucking awesome. How've you been?" Rachel leans in, immersed in the conversation. Maybe that's why Rachel is so popular; She makes you feel like she's listening.

"Great, cheer team tryouts are next week, the choreography's been handed out, you'll help me practice, right?"

"Definitely. Oh, I'm giving Max here the Official Tour, any input?"

"Show her the closet, Rachel, that's the best. It's practically good luck, and totally a right of passage."

"Will do," Rachel says, and they keep walking.

"That's the art room, Where Alyssa punched Logan in the face last year. Ask her about it if you see her, she's still proud of that. He deserved it, I think."

"And the Science rooms; They're conjoined, both of them. And one time Ms. Grant started yelling when David came in during class. I don't remember exactly what about, but I think someone has a video of it somewhere that you can find if you ask around enough."

"Ms Grant is the best," Max laughs softly.

"I know, right? Oh, the Janitor's Closet. That's where I lost my virginity, along with the rest of Blackwell academy. It's famous for that, but all I'm saying is don't go in there with a blacklight, Max, trust me on that. Chloe and I did once. I'll never be the same."

"Wait, there's a virginity closet in the middle of our academic building?" Max asks in awe.

"Yeah. I mean, the teachers don't call it that, and if they even know that the reason it's there is for sex, they've never said anything. But it's general knowledge around these parts."

"That's… Wow," Max raises her eyebrows.

"Out there," Rachel says, pointing out the window, "is where the Dude Bros™ skate. Also, I'm positive Justin is in love with me."

"I'm pretty sure half of Blackwell is in love with you," Max says, and the realizes that she said that out loud.

Rachel falters, then laughs quietly. "Thanks, Max.."

"Ooh," she resumes, "we've gotta go in the basement. That's where Juliet and Dana definitely fucked. The second time, I mean."

"This is more educational than I expected. I mean, the more you know," Max says.

"What is school for, Max? Education. That's why we're here, see, we're here to fucking learn, and we're gonna do it right. Basement ho!"

"Is that what you called Dana and Juliet when you found them down there?" Max asks with a small smile.

"Oh my God, she's funny, too. The total package," Rachel drapes an arm around Max.

"I didn't know Blackwell actually HAD a basement," Max says, confused.

"You've gotta take the elevator. There's no button, since they don't want us to know about it, but you have to press up, up, close doors, down," Rachel explains.

"What, like a cheat code? Bizarre," Max mutters. The two girls take a turn down a barren hallway. "I didn't even know this hall exsisted."

"It's hard to find. Honestly? I'm half convinced Blackwell is like a less interesting Hogwarts and the hallways turn around sometime. Actually, that'd explain a few things, now that I think about it," Rachel ponders.

"Ladies first," Rachel gestures, pressing the open button on the elevator. Max takes a step inside, and Rachel follows. "Up, up, close, down."

With a rattle the old metal box begins to move downward. "Max, get ready to venture a place where only the best people have gone. I think you deserve it."

The elevator comes to a halt and opens. "Wow it's.. dark," Max says, blinking.

"Aw, don't be afraid. I'll hold your hand," Rachel laughs, but apparently it's not that much of a joke because she loops her slender fingers in Max's own, and they take a step together into the basement.

There are boxes stacked from floor to ceiling with writing on them that's hard to read, with old textbooks and desk chairs scattered around and papers littering the damp floor.

"Mostly it's just storage, but it's a good place to get away seeing as nobody EVER comes down here. It's dark and it already smells like wet cement so there's no way anyone will bother catching you smoking weed."

"You're fearless," Max says without meaning to as she marvels at how Rachel can do something without worrying at all about the consequences.

Rachel lets out a short, bitter laugh. "Not entirely." She leaves it at that.

Way to go, Max.

"Alright, I'm bored," Rachel says after a few minutes of maneuvering around the castles of cardboard boxes. "Let's go back upstairs."

"Have we missed class?" Max gasps, realizing class probably started at least thirty minutes ago.

"Absolutely, my darling! But only in the name of education, I promise. Besides, we have the same class. Just trig, useless anyways. Do not worry about it," Rachel chides as they enter the elevator and it screeches up.

"That's… unsettling," Max says.

` "When it get's angry it yells," Rachel explains, as if it makes sense. (It doesn't.)

The doors open, and Max's heart drops, because what else could possibly happen? "Well, look who we have here."

David Madsen, the one and only. Of course.

In the lobby of the office, Rachel looks at Max. "Well, that could've gone better," She laughs easily.

"You think so, huh?" But despite being in indefinite amounts of trouble, Max smiles.

It'll be a long year with friends like these.


End file.
